Loose-leaf binder.



,F. E. CAUFIELD, JR.

LOOSE LE/IF BINDERI APPLICATION FILED JAN.10.19!6.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

MIG-5663,

Ia, WAsmNarON, n c.

FRANK E. CAUFIELD, JR., CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-EIGHTI-IS T0 WILLIAM NEIL, JIL, AND THREE-EIGH'IHS T0 H. P. CAUFIELD, BOTH OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

. Application filed January 10, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK E. CAUFIELD, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding letters of reference in the different figures indicate like parts.

My invention relates to that class of looseleaf binders which are rendered expansible by means of elongated binding-posts, said posts being permanently attached to one binding member and adjustably secured to the other so that said members may be adapted to clamp or bind varying numbers of intervening sheets; and my object is to provide simple and effective means in connection with said adjustable member to enable it to be readily connected with or removed from said binding posts and so locked, gripped or clamped thereto as to remain in place under varying stresses until manually released.

A further object is to provide a slidable cam device which shall be so constructed and combined with the adjustable binding mem her that the movement of said device'in one direction may serve to force the bindingposts into operative engagement with gripping means and at the same time act to positively lock said posts within suitable openings formed in said adjustable binding memher, while a reversal of said slidable device may serve to move said adjustable member in such a way as not only to cause the binding posts to be disconnected from the gripping members but to enable them to be readily removed from said openings.

To these and other subsidiary ends my invention consists in the combination of elements hereinafter more particularly described and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an isometric view of a binder embodying the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the adjustable binding members showing the casing in horizontal section, the movable parts being shown in the respective positions in which they would appear when said member is locked to the binding posts. Fig. 3 is a plan of the adjustable binding member, the

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented An 29, 1916.

Serial no. 71,229.

casing being removed to show the gripping means and slide-retaining spring. Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the adjustable binding member and easing, said view being taken upon the line l4r, Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrows there shown, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an adjustable binding member with the casing removed, showing a modification of the gripping means.

Referring to the drawings 1, Fig. 1, indicates a well-known form of binding member attached in the usual manner to a cover element 2, while 3, shown in all of the figures, designates an adjustable, detachable binding member secured in like manner to a cover element 4-. The member 1 is provided with the usual binding-posts 5, 5, rigidly attached thereto in the ordinary way, said posts being preferably provided with heads 6, 6, Fig. 1, screwed thereon, said heads being removed in Fig. 2, in order to more clearly show other features.

Bigidly and permanently attached to the outer face of the adjustable binding member 3 is a casing 7 formed from sheet-metal and secured to said member by means of clips or prongs 8, Fig. 4, passed through openings 9, in said member, and clenched beneath it. Said casing 7 is provided with notches 10, 10 corresponding in position to, and adapted to receive the posts 5, while like notches 11, 11, adapted to register therewith, are formed in the binding member 3. The purpose of said notches is to enable the binding member to be placed in position to clamp the sheets or to be removed therefrom by merely moving it in a plane at right angles to the axes of the posts,thereby saving time in the adjustn'ient of the parts, and also to provide for the requisite clamping or releasing action as the result of a longitudinal movement of the clamping slide as hereinafter described.

Rigidly attached by means of r1vets 12, or otherwise, to the member 3 are sheet metal plates 13, preferably cons1stmg of spring-steel, upon which are formed by preference, two upwardly bent prongs or spring clips 1 1, extending 1n opposite d1- rections and spaced apart as shown, the spaces between the adjacent ends being in registration with, but less in width at the narrowest part, than the width of the notches 10 and 11, and less than the d1amepreference beveled or rounded as shown at 15, Figs. 2 and 3, so as to form a wedgeshaped opening, the wider portion of which exceeds the diameter of said posts, thereby permitting the posts to be moved laterally into the space formed between the ends of the springs and by the consequent wedging action, serving to bend the springs sufliciently to admitsaid posts between them and at the same time to so grip said posts as to prevent their longitudinal movement in one direction while permitting it in another.

Fitted loosely within the casing 7, so as to contact with the upper inner face thereof, is a sheet metal plate or slide generally designated by 16, Figs. 1, 2 and 4, which is provided with a downwardly turned flange 17, Figs. 1 and 4, upon one edge thereof and substantially midway be tween its ends. Riveted to said flange is a pin' 18, Figs. 2 and 4, which is extended outwardly through a'horizontally arranged slot 19, Figs. 1 and 2, formed in the wall of the casing. v To the outer end of said pin is attached a knob or head 20, for manually actuating the slide 16. A recess 21, is formed in the casing for the reception of said knob, which recess serves to protect the knob from accidental displacement while permitting access thereto. The slide 16 is madeeno-ugh shorter than the casing to provide for the requisite movement thereof for the purposeshereinafter stated, while a boss or projection 22, Figs. 2 and 4, is formed upon the under face of the slide, in position to be engaged by the bent end of a spring 23, which is riveted to the memher 3, said spring being so adjusted as to engage said boss, as shown in Fig. 4, and hold the slide in a locked position by frictional action. The slide 16 is wider near the ends than at the middle and is provided with two elongated diagonally arranged notches 24 and 25, both of which commence at the outer edge and are extended inwardly at an angle to the axis of the slide and in the same direction. Said notches are so placed relatively to the notches 10 and 11, that when the slide is in the extreme left-hand position the notches 10 and 11 will be open to receive the posts 5. Locking fingers 26 and27 are formed 'uponthe slide 16 as a result'of cutting said notches, the inner edges of said fingers forming cam surfaces 28 and 29, while counterpart cam surfaces 30 and 31 are formed vupon. the opposite sides of said notches so that when the posts 5 are caused to enter the notches 10 andl'l far enough to passthe ends of the locking fingers 26 and 27 of the slide, a movement .of the latter toward the right causes the cam surfaces 28 and 29 to engage said.posts and force them into the wedge-shaped openings between the springs 14, in the manner clearly indicated in Fig. 2, thereby causing said posts to be firmly gripped by the springs 14, and at the same time to be positively locked in place and held by said locking fingers.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified construction in which, instead of two gripping springs, located upon opposite sides of each binding-post a single spring 32 is employed, said spring being so formed and placed that the movement of the post crosswise of the binding member may cause it to be brought into gripping engagement with the spring. Transverse slots or openings 33, are formed in said binding member in lieu of the transverse notch-like openings shown in the other views, the length of-said openings being such as to freely receive the bindingpoStS when inserted endwise and allow them to be moved transversely into gripping e11- gagement with the springs.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, inasmuch as it may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, while I prefer, as stated to bevel or round the free ends of said gripping springs, it is manifest that if not so shaped the rounded posts when pushed laterally against them would cause them to so yield as to permit a grip ping engagement with the posts, provided the free ends of the springs are properly positioned with respect to the slots.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A loose-leaf binder comprising in combination, primary and secondary binding members, the former of which is provided with binding-posts, adapted to enter transversely disposed openings in the other, gripping members upon said secondary member, one of which is in operative proximity to each of said openings therein to grip said posts and means for moving the posts within said openings transversely of, said secondary binding member into and out of gripping engagement with said gripping means.

2. Aloose-leaf binder, comprising, in combination, primary and secondary binding members, one of which is provided with binding posts adapted to enter transversely disposed apertures in the other, bent gripping springs upon said secondary member, each having its free end projecting into the path of a binding-post and longitudinally movable actuating means upon said secondary member for engaging said posts with a wedge-like action to move them transversely of said binding member into and out of contact with said gripping springs.

3. A loose-leaf binder, comprising, in com Ill) bination, primary and secondary binding members, one of which is provided with binding-posts adapted to enter transversely arranged apertures in the other, a yielding gripping member upon said secondary binding member in operative proximity to each of said apertures in said secondary binding member, means for moving said posts transversely of said secondary member into and out of gripping engagement with said gripping members and means for retaining said post moving means in either of two extreme positions.

l. A loose-leaf binder, comprising, in combination, primary and secondary binding members, binding posts rigidly attached to said primary member and adjusted to enter openings in said secondary member, said openings being arranged transversely of said member to permit a transverse movement therein of said posts, a yielding gripping member for each post the same having its free end extending past one edge of an opening to cause frictional engagement with a post when the latter is moved into contact therewith, a casing upon said secondary member and a slide within said-casing, said slide having diagonally arranged contacting surfaces for engaging said posts to move them transversely of said secondary bind ing member in and out of engagement with said gripping members.

5. A loose-leaf binder, comprising, in combination, primary and secondary binding members, one of which is provided with binding-posts adapted to enter transversely arranged apertures in the other, a gripping member upon said secondary binding member in operative proximity to each of said openings, a casing upon said secondary member, and a slide movable longitudinally therein, said slide having post receiving apertures therein arranged at an angle to the axis thereof, the movement of said slide in one direction serving to move said posts into gripping engagement with said gripping members and in the other to release them therefrom.

6. A loose-leaf binder, comprising, in combination, primary and secondary binding members, one of which is provided with bindingposts in permanent connection therewith, said posts being adapted to enter transversely arranged openings in the other,

a gripping member upon said secondary binding member in operative proximity to each of said openings, to engage said posts, a longitudinally arranged actuating slide having diagonally disposed cam surfaces for engaging and moving said posts transversely of said secondary binding member when said slide is moved longitudinally, and means for actuating said slide.

7. A loose-leaf binder comprising, in combination, primary and secondary binding members, one of which is provided with bindingposts in permanent connection therewith, said posts being adapted to enter transversely arranged apertures in the other, spring gripping members upon said secondary binding member the free ends of which are in operative proximity to said binding posts, said ends being formed to permit a transverse movement of said posts into frictional engagement therewith, a casing upon said secondary binding member and an actuating slide therein for engaging said posts, said slide being provided with diagonally arranged cam surfaces for engaging said posts to move the latter transversely of said secondary binding member.

8. A loose-leaf binder comprising in combination, primary and secondary binding members, one of which is provided with bindingposts in permanent connection therewith, said posts being adapted to enter transversely arranged apertures in the other, a gripping member upon said secondary binding member in operative proximity to each of said apertures. to engage said posts, and a longitudinally arranged actuating slide in operative connection with said secondary member, said slide having diagonally disposed apertures therein to receive said posts and to act as cams for moving said posts transverselv of said secondary binding member when said slide is moved longitudinally, said slide, when in one extreme position, serving to lock said posts in engaging position with said gripping means and when reversed, to release them therefrom.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of January, 1916.

FRANK E. CAUFIELD, JR.

Witnesses:

DAVID H. FLETCHER, T. M. CURTIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

